Radiator flushing valve



8- 1934- c. s. DAV-IS 1,969,295

RADIATOR FLUSHING VALVE Filed. April 7', 19 32 INVENTOR. ezueuaww Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,969,295 RADIATOR FLUSH'ING VALVE Charles s. Davis, Pittsburgh, Pa. I Application April '7, 1932, Serial No. 603,716

1 Claim. (01. 123-170) This invention relates to improvements in radiator flushing and cleansing devices and it is among the objects thereof to provide a valve connection in the radiator hose line whichshall be permanent and which shall be provided with means for attaching a standard coupling oi a water hose whereby the full force of a water pressure supply system may be made use of in loosening and removing sediment accumulating in the relatively thin tubes of a radiator core.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a valve arrangement whereby water under pressure may be selectively circulated through a radiator by the application of pressure to the bottom thereof or through the 0001- ing jacket of an engine and thence out at the top of the radiator without causing the flush-- out water in the cooling jacket to circulate through the radiator tubes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a special valve having a removable element whereby it is rendered unobstructive to the normal flow of the cooling medium in amdiator and water jacket system when not in use, and which shall be readily convertible to a controllable valve element for directing the application of flushing fluid when it is desirable or necessary to cleanse the circulating system.

Various forms of radiator flushing methods have been heretofore proposed but none of them provide for the circulation of a flushing fluid through the tubes of the radiator core in one direction only, and for this reason such methods are not only deficient but sometimes aggravate the clogged condition of the tubes. The prior methods do not recognize the fact that pieces of rubber tubing and other relatively large par-- ticles suspended in the cooling fluid such as rust or scale from the cooling jacket become lodged in the radiator tubes to firmly adhere or wedge therein by virtue of the direction of flow of the fluid through the core structure.

In automobiles, the water in the cooling system is commonly circulated by providing a water pump at the hose connection near the bottom of the radiator to draw the water downwardly through the radiator tubes and deliver it to the resulting in inefficient circulation and consequent over-heating of the engine.

'The present invention is designed tosimplifyI the flushing of radiator core structures by providing an attachment for a'water line as a permanent partof the circulating system, such a device being designed to permit directing the flushing fluid either in the'reverse directionof normal flow, namely, through the bottom of 'the radiator core upwardly and thence permitting it to escape at the top of the radiator or direction may'be reversed'to establish flow through the cooling jacket thence from the water jacket out through the top of the radiator without permittingtheflushing fluid to circulate through the radiator tubes. In this manner, any foreign particles in the radiator core are dislodged. and flushed out at the top of the radiator and any sludge orloose scale in the cooling jacket is 3 expelled from the top of the radiatorwithout passing through the tubes of the core. I

In the accompanying drawing constituting a f part hereof in which like reference characters designate'like parts, 1

l Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an automo bile engine and radiator structure illustrating an embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2vertical cross-sectional view of a s'pecial form of valve" employed in practicing the-invention;

Figure 3 a top plan view of the valve;

Figure 4 cross-section taken along the lines- IVIV, Figure 2; i

Figure 5 a top plan view of a closure cap and,

Figure 6, a side elevational view of the cap shown inFigure 5.

With reference to the several figures of the drawing, the reference character 1 designates an automobile engine having connections through flexible conduits 2 and 3 with the top and bottom respectively of a radiator 4. I

The radiator is provided with the usual cap 5 which covers the opening'through which water is suppliedtothe radiator, and the conduits 2 and 3 are connected to the cooling jacket of the en gine 1 in the conventional manner.

Interposed between the connections of the ra diator and cooling jacket of the lower conduit 3 is a valve 6 of the construction shown in Figure 2 having a through passage 7 Figure 2, having connections at 8 with tube 3 and a connection at 9 with the passage of the cooling jacket of the engine.

Disposed within the casing of valve 6 is a sleeve 10 having a plurality of openings 11, there being 110 three such openings as shown in Figure 4 at right angles to each other.

The top of the valve is provided with a hexagonal or octagonal shoulder 12 for receiving a wrench 13, Figure 1, and the top of the valve is threaded at 14 to receive the coupling 15 of a water hose 16 which may be the conventional form of garden hose. The sleeve 10 is provided with a shoulder 1'7 which is adapted to seat on the topofvalve casing 6 and tobe engaged by a flange ring nut 18 that interacts with the threads 19 provided on the exterior of the valve casing.

When the valve 6 is not in use the ring nut 18 may be removed and valve sleeve 10 lifted bodily from the valve casing. Instead of replacing the ring nut 18, a cap or closure 20, Figures Sand 6, may be screwed on the threads 19 of the valve casing to seal the top of the valve and inthis condition the passage 7 of the valve is substantially of the same diameter or area as the remaining passage of the circulating system thus pro n unob u t a h to the flow the oo.. .n liquid in the cooling system.

.The ope at n of t e us in ys m is riefly" as follows: Assuming valve sleeves, 1 0 to be assembled inthe casingfi in themannershownin Figure 2, and a hose 16 coupled to the thread 14; asshown in Figure l the handle member 13 is -1- turned to the position which brings one of theopenings 11 in alinement with: the connection leading to the bottom of the radiator core. The radiator cap 5 is then removed and water pressure is'turned on hose 16 whichcauses the pressure fluid to pass to valve sleeve l0land then through the connection 8 into the bottom of the radiator from which it passes upwardly through the tubes of thecore structure flushing out. at the opening atthe top thereof, By connecting the water hose 16 in this manner, the total press sure of the water supply source is ,availableto;

dislodge any accumulations int e tubin thereby thoroughly cleansing the core structure;

The valve handle 13 is then moved to the pQsi-, tion where the port ll of; valve sleevelO, is opened to. the connection 9 whilethe body-of the valve; sleeve 10 shuts off the connection to passage-18.1,

This can be done without disconnecting the-watip lyat e hose 6, and; the water under pressure will then pass through the water jacket of engine '1 and pass outwardly through the ose onn on 2' t th t p o the rad ator and through the top opening. v

, fiince the tubes of the rad-iator core structure are filled with water when circulation is efiected through the cooling jacket water willnot pass cw wa d th u h, he tubin andthe foreign ma ter-from; t e ack t will lus ou at the-tonot' the radiator.,. Similarly, when the water is ushed, hr the, c r r u e. by passing it upwardly through the tubing to escape at the en o th r di tq b t w ll not pas throu h the cooling jacket of the engine but will freely; flush, u ou h the p. eve n of th rad a or structure, i v

After both the radiatorand cooling jacket have,

n fl as. xplain d; a d e .3 may be set to connect the pressure source with both cons, nections 8: and Qto simultaneously flush the radi- -.the latter with the closure cap 20 to seal the valve, thus affording an unobstructed passage of the circulating fluid in the conventional manner.

" Although removal of the valve 10 is suggested,

it is notnat all necessary since the ports 11 of valve sleeve 10 can be made precisely of the same area" as the" area of the conduit or passages through which the cooling fluid normally passes and thevalve sleeve retaining member 18 may be packed or otherwise sealed againstleakage when the valve sleeve .is permanently retained in,

the valve casing. q

It is evident from the foregoing description of the invention that by installing a valve of the character herein described as apermanent eleg ment in a circulatingsystem particularly in the bottom connection of the radiator, with meansfor directing the flushing fluid in either the direction of theradiator or the cooling jacket, that the radiator tubes can be efficiently cleaned with-a out the inconvenience, of dismembering any of the connections of: either the radiator or the en-, gine, and because of this accessibility of the flushing element, itis apparent that they will be employed with suflicient frequency to maintain the circulating system in proper condition. v

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described. it will, be obvious tc those skilled in the art that various; modifications may be made in the details of con-.

struction Without departing from the principles herein set forth 7 I I claim as my invention;

In a Water cooling-system for internal co ns,

bustion engines the combination of a cooling jacket surrounding the engine cylinders, a radiator having aconduit connection at the bottom with the lower part of the cooling jacket and aconduit connection atjthe top with the up er.

part of; said jacket to constitute a circulating system, means in said system for normally cire culating Water through the radiator, andfrom the bottom of the radiator through the cooling jacket:

to the top of the radiator and; adjustable means in said system operable in one position for directr', ing a flushing fluid from the bottom of the cook;

ing jacket to the top or the radiator while shuts ine, o fiQ hrou h. said radia r and 0 in another position for directing, 11. flu

fluid from the bottom of the radiator to the thereof while shutting on flow throughthecooi-i. i lg jacket, said means, being operative without breaking the radiator. and cooling jacket con-f duit connections.

CHARLES s. DAVIS; 

